Whether or not Napster
and other MP3 technology becomes highly restricted and regulated, new
technology will develop to circumvent the new laws. I could care less
about Metallica or Dr.Dre "losing money" because of Napster, because
I know that there are a lot of struggling musicians who are benefiting
from it. For a small band, the free distribution of their songs means
that more people will hear them and know who they are and therefore
be more likely to go see them play and buy their album. Yes, people
like getting free music, but many people also care about supporting
independent music, and would buy a CD of something they really like
even if they know they could burn their friend's CD or find the whole
album through Napster for free.

"If
a musician has a strong and loyal fan base, something every artist
should want, it is probably due to the trading of cassette tapes
of bootlegs and rare tracks. MP3s are an extension of that tape
trading system."

A friend of mine told
me he met someone in a chatroom who had an MP3 of one of my band's
songs. This person lived in Illinois; our band is based in Los Angeles.
I have no idea how he or she got it, but it is a good thing for us.
MP3s allow for this kind of rapid and far-reaching spread of music,
which is similar to what cassette tapes have done. In the early 80s,
buying and selling mix tapes from the trunks of cars was how hip-hop
music (now a goldmine for record companies) spread. If a musician
has a strong and loyal fan base, something every artist should want,
it is probably due to the trading of cassette tapes of bootlegs and
rare tracks. MP3s are an extension of that tape trading system.